Chapter 4

To my surprise, Ryan's parents showed up at my door a few days later.

They were both on their knees, begging, but I just stared back, keeping my face blank.

Cecelia begged, "Ryan's lost his mind. He's actually going to give Olivia the only kidney. She must have something on him, and she must be threatening him! Please, you have to save him! You're his fiancée!"

"That woman is pure evil!" Mark sobbed. "She's destroyed our family! That money was everything we had! Please, just lend us enough to take her to court!"

I let the silence hang in the air for a long moment before I spoke, "Not my damn problem."

With that, I slammed the door in their faces, cutting them off completely.

When it came to their precious son, they would do anything.

This was all just another performance. Something was off.

Sure enough, not long after, the internet exploded with a smear campaign aimed at Olivia.

Mark and Cecelia posted a weepy exposé video and a clickbait bomb.

The headline screamed: [My dying son is in critical condition, while the mistress runs off with our life savings!]

They cried on camera, accused Olivia of conning Ryan and emptying their savings, and even tried to tack on fake crimes.

Playing the victim never fails.

The internet went into a digital mob descending on Olivia with a storm of threats and vitriol.

[These gold-digging whores have no shame! She's driving his poor parents to an early grave!]

[Feel bad for the guy. Doxx her. Make her pay.]

But internet outrage has a short shelf life. The furor died down as quickly as it had started.

And then, Olivia fought back. She posted screenshots of her text conversations with Ryan and of the bank transfers.

The evidence was damning. Ryan was a fawning simp, worshiping at her feet.

Just as the tide of public opinion began to turn against them, my doorbell rang.

I looked through the peephole. Ryan's parents looked more desperate than ever.

They started pleading the second the door opened.

"Evie, you're our last hope," Cecelia whispered. "The internet mob is useless. We need more than just online drama. Please, can you help us? Just a little more money?"

I frowned, retorting flatly, "Why would I?"

I turned to go inside, and white light burst behind my eyes. Something cracked against my skull. The world went black.

A thick, moldy stench filled my nostrils. I struggled to open my eyes, my body aching, my limbs heavy and unresponsive.

I struggled to open my eyes, only to find my whole body aching and weak, like every muscle had been drained of strength.

My hands and feet were bound with scratchy rope. A filthy rag was stuffed in my mouth, making it hard to breathe.

"Well, well. Sleeping Beauty's up?" a sneering voice said from the shadows.

I forced my head toward the voice. Cecelia stared down at me with pure disgust.

"Thought you'd fake it longer."

A chill crept through me.

I scanned the room. Everyone was here—Ryan, his parents, and Olivia.

It hit me then. This was all a setup. From the moment they showed up at my door, they were planning this.

"What do you want?" I managed to mumble through the gag.

Ryan's eyes gleamed with predatory greed. "Isn't it obvious? We're here for your kidney. We were going to play nice and let you live. But you had to be so damn difficult. So now, we're doing this the hard way."

I let out a cold laugh inside. All this scheming was just to cut me open and steal my kidney.

Olivia sat off to the side, peeling an apple like a queen bored with her court.

Cecelia stepped close and tapped my cheek with the flat of a knife.

"Don't blame us for being cruel. You love Ryan so much, right? You should be happy to give him this final gift."

Tears streaked my face. I let my voice tremble.

"I won't tell anyone. Please. Don't kill me."

Ryan snorted, "Should've thought of that earlier. Did you really think someone like you was good enough for me? The only reason I kept you around is because you were useful."